Rocky Men’s and Women’s Golf Picked as the Preseason Favorites

8/20/2025 3:30:00 PM

By: Brandon Stinson | Sports Information & Media Coordinator

BILLINGS, Mont.- The Battlin' Bear men's and women's golf teams were picked to defend their conference titles in the Preseason Coaches Poll, released Wednesday morning.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams in the preseason poll. First place is worth seven (7) points, second place is worth six (6) points, third place is worth five (5) points, and down the list to last place with one point.

The Rocky men earned four first-place votes and a total of 46 points to lead the opening Coaches Poll. Bellevue, the only other Frontier Conference program to qualify for the NAIA Men's Golf National Championship in 2024, received the other four first-place votes after a 7th-place finish at nationals a season ago.

Montana Tech (38 points), Dickinson State (31 points), Carroll College (27 points), Mayville State (18 points), Providence (13 points), and Valley City State (10 points) rounded out the men's preseason coaches poll.

The Rocky men earned a commanding 21-stroke victory in last year's Frontier Conference Championships, led by the individual champion Kristjan Burkelca, who returns for his junior season. The Battlin' Bears began the season as the 15th-ranked team in the NAIA a season ago and finished the season as the No. 15-ranked team in the Clippd team rankings. They tied for 21st overall at the NAIA National Championships, missing the cut for the final round. Rocky Men's Golf returns four of its five competitors at the 2024 NAIA National Championship, entering the 2025 season.

The Battlin' Bear women also received four first-place votes and a total of 46 points to lead the poll. Bellevue received three first-place votes and a total of 42 points to follow in second, and Montana Tech earned the final first-place vote and a total of 37 points to rank third. The Bruins of Bellevue University finished a spot behind Rocky at the NAIA National Championships a year ago in 14th as the only other Frontier program to earn a spot at the 2024 NAIA National Championship.

Dickinson State (31 points), Carroll College (28 points), Valley City State (15 points), Providence (14 points), and Mayville State (11 points) rounded out the women's preseason coaches poll.

The Rocky women look to defend their Frontier Conference title for the fifth consecutive season, after defeating runner-ups Montana Tech by 11 strokes in last season's Frontier Conference Championship, led by returner Grace Metcalf, who won the individual title in 2024 after leading the field from start to finish. The Battlin' Bears earned an automatic qualifying bid into the NAIA National Championships, where they advanced past the cuts to place 13th overall, led by top-40 finishes by returners Grace Metcalf and Tyla Potgieter. In total, Rocky returns five of their six competitors from last year's NAIA National Championships. They spent the entire 2024 season inside the NAIA Top 25, finishing the season ranked 22nd in the coaches poll and 26th in the Clippd team rankings.

The full Frontier Conference Men's and Women's Golf Preseason Coaches Polls can be found below.

2025 Frontier Conference Men's Golf Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank	School (First Place Votes)	Total Points
1	Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (4)	46
2	Bellevue (Neb.) (4)	41
3	Montana Tech	38
4	Dickinson State (N.D.)	31
5	Carroll (Mont.)	27
6	Mayville State (N.D.)	18
7	Providence (Mont.)	13
8	Valley City State (N.D.)	10

2025 Frontier Conference Women's Golf Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank	School (First Place Votes)	Total Points
1	Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (4)	46
2	Bellevue (Neb.) (3)	42
3	Montana Tech (1)	37
4	Dickinson State (N.D.)	31
5	Carroll (Mont.)	28
6	Valley City State (N.D.)	15
7	Providence (Mont.)	14
8	Mayville State (N.D.)	11

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Rocky Men’s and Women’s Golf Picked as the Preseason Favorites